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Kokawa 小川 – Japanese surname

Kokawa (小川) is read こかわ and has 3 syllables. It is a family name. Written as 小川, the characters mean: little + stream. This reading can be written with at least 17 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 6 to 14 strokes in total.

How to write Kokawa in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
小川	こかわ	little + stream	6
木川	こかわ	tree + stream	7
好川	こうかわ	fond + stream	9
古川	こかわ	old + stream	8
小河	こかわ	little + river	11
交河	こうかわ	mingle + river	14

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Kokawa

小

little, small

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: ショウ Kun: ちい、こ、お

川

stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: セン Kun: かわ

木

tree, wood

4 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: ボク、モク Kun: き、こ

好

fond, pleasing, like something

6 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: コウ Kun: この、す、よ

Kokawa in different scripts

Romaji	Kokawa
Hiragana	こかわ
Katakana	コカワ
Kanji (most common)	小川

Full name examples

Ayumi Kokawa (Japanese order: 小川歩美, こかわあゆみ)
Yurina Kokawa (Japanese order: 小川百合奈, こかわゆりな)
Yuki Kokawa (Japanese order: 小川結城, こかわゆうき)

How to pronounce Kokawa

Break it into 3 parts: ko · ka · wa. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 3 sound units are written こかわ.

Questions about Kokawa

What does Kokawa mean in Japanese?

Kokawa has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 小川, combines these meanings: little + stream. Other spellings include 木川 (tree + stream), 好川 (fond + stream), 古川 (old + stream).

How do you write Kokawa in kanji?

The most common way is 小川 (こかわ). It can also be written 木川, 好川, 古川, 小河, 交河.

How do you write Kokawa in katakana?

Kokawa is コカワ in katakana and こかわ in hiragana.

How do you pronounce Kokawa?

Kokawa is read こかわ and has 3 syllables (morae).

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Themes: Nature

Other surnames that use 小

小: little, small

Koba 小場 Kobata 小端 Kobayashi 小林 Kogami 小上 Koike 小生 Kojima 小島 Koke 小受 Komatsu 小町 Komiya 小宮 Komoto 小本 Komura 小村 Konaka 小中

Names with a similar sound

Koke 小受

Similar last names by meaning

Agata 安方 Aida 会田 Aijima 会島 Aikawa 会川 Aishima 会島 Akagi 明木 Akaki 明木 Amagai 天海